Safety signal flag



18, 1948. c, F. FABER SAFETY SIGNAL FLAG Filed Feb. 19, 1948 CARL F. FABER -IN VEN TOR.

Patented May 18, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,441,875 SAFETY SIGNAL FLAG Carl F. Faber, Eflingham, 111. Application February 19,1948, Serial No. 9,502 Claims. (01. 246-488) This invention relates to flags and more particularly to a trainmans safety signal flag of an extensible and retractable character whereby the same can be collapsed telescopically and compactly into relatively short length so as to be placed in a kit box or container and kept conveniently at hand in the event of need for its use and which can be quickly extended and made ready for use.

The principal object is to improve generally upon such articles, particularly in simplifying and making more practical the construction and arrangement of parts, not only to facilitate the work and minimize the time and cost of manufacture but to also attain ease of operation in extending and collapsing the article and at the same time assure a reliable holding of the extended part in position for use.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fully appear in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of a practical but non-limiting adaptation of the invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete article in telescopically contracted condition;

Figure 2 is a side elevation with the extensible portion of the article extended;

Figure 3 is a View on an enlarged scale, with parts broken away and removed to foreshorten the view, and with the showing partly in elevation and partly in section;

Figure 4 is an upper end view of the article; and

Figure 5 is a section taken on or about the line 5--5 of Fig. 3. p

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral It designates an open-ended, longitudinally split, tubular body member or casing made of metal or other suitable material possessing the requisite strength and form retentive character and having certain inherent resiliency. Its longitudinal slot ll extends entirely from end to end thereof, the lower corners of the slot being preferably rounded off, as at l2, and the edge portion of said tubular member In being turned inwardly, as at l3, to form an annular internal shoulder at its upper end.

Placed rotatably and longitudinally movable in the tubular body member or casing I0, is a stem or flag stick I4 having at its inner end a collar or headed enlargement l5 which is of an overall diameter to fit rotatably and longitudinally slidable in said'tubular member II]. The part l5 has an annular peripheral groove Hi to receive snap-fittedly therein said inturned annular shoulder l3 of the member II] when the flag stem or stick M is moved to its extended position (see Figure 3).

The collar or headed enlargement l5 of the stem or stick I4 is beveled at its top and bottom corners, as at l'l, I8. The lower beveling or tapering I8 of the collar or headed enlargement I5 is provided so as to have a wedging effect in engagement with the inturned annular shoulder l3 and thus cause a spreading of the upper end portion of said tubular member In when the stem or stick I4 is grasped and moved forcibly into the member H). In this connection, it is noted that if the stem or stick it is moved straight or substantially truly longitudinally into the tubular member Hi the shoulder [3 will snap into the annular groove l6 of the collar or headed enlargement l5, as shown in Figure 3, the same as when the collar or headed enlargement i5 is moved outwardly in said member ID upon extension of the stem or stick l4.

To disengage the annularly grooved portion 16 of the collar or headed enlargement l5 it is only necessary to forcibly tilt the stem or stick l4 so that the collar or headed enlargement l5 becomes canted sufficiently to cause a spreading of the upper end portion of the split tubular member Hi, whereupon the stem or stick M with its collar or headed portion l5 can be forced inwardly in the member Ill. i

It is here noted that the fitting dimensions of the parts are such that while the sliding movement of the stem or stick l4 and its collar or headed enlargement I5 is rather easy and freely in the tubular member ill, the stem or stick [4 is supported quite steadily in its extended relation to the tubular body member or casing I0 when the parts l3 and 15 are engaged as shown in Figure 3.

In the broad sense of the flag stem or stick I4, the same may be of any suitable structural form, except that it must, of course, be somewhat smaller in diameter than the interior of the tubular body member or casing Ill, because it has to vary and have wound thereon a flag l9, and the member ID must be of an interior diameter to receive and house the stem or stick with the flag wound thereabout. Preferably, however, the stem or stick [4 is tubular as shown, and slitted throughout its length, as at 20, the lower end of the slit being closed by the collar or headed enlargement l5. The slit 20 is open at its upper end, as at 2|, and the adjacent end portion of the stem or stick I4 is again split diametrically opposite the slit 20, and, as thus bifurcated'the stem or stick is formed with two opposed radial tongues 22 which constitute a cross-head or T- member to serve as a handle or grasping portion for pulling the stem or stick outwardly or pushing it inwardly in the tubular body member or casing Ill and for rotating it to wind the flag l9 thereon.

The winding of the flag IS on the stick or stem l may-be "donejwhile the stick or stem is extended-or after the stick or stem ismoved back into the tubular body member or casing II], that is to say, while the collar or headed enlargement l'5 is still engaged rotatably with the inturned shoulder or flange I3 of said body member or casing Hl, or, if desired, the stem or stick 14 with the flag I9 still unrolled thereon, can be moved back into the body member or casing,"in'whioh--'case the flag is moved edgewise into and through: the slot II, and afterwards the stem or stick M can be turned by the cross-head or T-member 22, thereby winding 'the'fiag l9 oh the stem'or stick and drawing the flag in'through the slot I i. In any 'case,the'fiag I9 is wound between the collar or headed enlargement l5 and the cross-head or T- 'rne'mber 22 of the Stem of'stick l4.

The flag I'9'may be secured to the stem or stick T4 many desired or approved manner. However, for ready replacement and renewal, the na is preferably -r'e'movab'ly mounted. In cases of the split tubular-stem or stick it as shown, the flag is slid edgewi'se into the slit 29, which latter is only wide enough 'to permit the material of the flag "to slide rather 'tightly'the'rein andthe edge por-' 'tion of the flag is hemmed, as at 23, (see Figure l 5), or otherwise formed with bous portion "within the bore athickened or bulof the-stem 'or stick [to prevent withdrawal of the flag entirely from the stick laterally through the slit 2! While the col'lapsibleand extensible stem 01' stick 14 can be used 'for any kind and size of flag, it is'primarily designed andintended'for use with a trainmans signal flag which, when notinuse, is collapsed and placed in a'kit box or container.

Not only can the article be-collapsed and extended, at will, but in its extended condition it oan-be conveniently handled and manipulated as a signal in the hand of the trainman or flagman holding it by the body member or casing 10, or, if

, need be, theopenlower end portion of the member 01' casing l B can'be slipped or forced-over some supporting projection which may be nearby, or

else said endportion of the member or casing may be stuck into the ground in or alongside of the roadway. V ,7 V V l Obviously, while the illustrated construction and arrangement is that-of a practical adaptationfo f the invention, the same isnot a limitation,

"as modification and change ma be made within the spirit of the invention "as defined in them:- pended claims.

What is claimed is: V

L'An extensible and collapsible flag holder comprising a tubular open-ended and'longitudi- 'nally's'lotted body member of resilient form-retentive material, an open'end portion of said the collar of the flag stick has its upper and lower annular corners beveled.

/ 3. A flag holder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the flag stick is tubular and slitted throughout its length, with theinner end of the slit closed by the -collar "on the "stick but the outer end of the slit bei ng'open, and the stick is again slitted at its outer end and diametrically opposite the adjacent open end portion of the lengthwise-slit, the thus bifurcated outer end portion of the stick being formed with a pair of oppositely extended radial members constituting a cross--head-ior the stick,

and a flag secured marginally 'in the stick and extended through the lengthwise slit of the stick.

4. A flag holder comprising a tubular openended body member of form-retentive and inherently resilient material, said memberbeing slotted longitudinally from end toend and one open end portion 'thereof being formed with an internal annular shoulder, and a 'fiag'stickcarrying a i iag to be rolled upon and unrolled from the same, saidstick havinga head element at its outer end and-a collar at'its'inneriehd, said collarbeing beveled annularl-y at its inner and outer-corners and being of an overall diameter to fit rotatably and longitudinally slid-able in'said tubularbody member and having an annular peripheralgroo've to receive snap-fitte'dly' the internal annular shoulder of .the body member.

5. Afiag hold'er'comprisinga cylindrical, openend-ed, tubular body andc'asi'ng member'of resilient, normally form-retentive material, the same being slotted longitudinally at and adjacent to at least one open ehdthereof, and an extensible and retractable flag stick rotatable and movable longitudinally in said body member and being extendedand retracted through said open end of the "member, said 'fia'g stick having a, headelement at its outer end 'for rotating the stick and for moving it longitudinallyinwa-rd and'outward and a collar 'at-its inn-er endfittedmtatably and longitudinally slidable insaid body member, said collar and the interior of the body mem'beradiacent its open end having cooperative provision-Tor releasable snap-engagement between'said parts in the extended position *of-the stick, the movement of th'e'stiok into'such'engagement causing amomentaI'y' expansion "of the adjacent portion of the body member and the release of such engagement between the partsbeing efiected by a forcible preliminary tilting movement'of the stick-with respect tothe body member.

CARL FABER. 

